


Call It Magic (or whatever you want)

by baekbuns (mumz)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempt at Humor, Brief mention of some shinee members, Fluff, Humor, Inspired by Studio Ghibli, Light Angst, M/M, Rated for mild language and sex related topics, Romance, Totoro AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 03:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12003924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mumz/pseuds/baekbuns
Summary: Baekhyun finds fairy hunting to be quite the extreme sport. Chanyeol finds Baekhyun fascinating (and a little bit conceited).





	Call It Magic (or whatever you want)

**Author's Note:**

> After seeing Chanyeol's new hair color I just couldn't stop myself from writing this "thing" lol I apologize for the poor use of the Ghibli themed movie and just for writing this all together /sobs

 

 

“You gotta be _fucking_ kidding me.”

Baekhyun grumbled, face contorted in sheer disappointment as a face popped out of the trunk and soon a set of gangly limbs slowly (and rather awkwardly) made their way out of the hollow of the imposing Camphor tree.

Once out, the mysterious young man nervously shuffled, hands playing with the hem of his shirt as he blinked before offering a small dimpled smile.

“You called?”

“You’re not what I asked for.”

Baekhyun squinted his eyes, making the fairy looking man break out of his shy cocoon and into a series of nervous sweats, awkward cackles and wild gestures.

_Aren’t fairies supposed to be ethereal, graceful beings?_

The soft looking man starts choking on his own spit at the sight of Baekhyun's steely glare and the latter slowly drops his intense gaze in favor of lifting an eyebrow in silent judgment.

“Uh, um. Right.” The magical being coughed, patting his breastbone with his closed fist before his chest puffed out proudly. “I'm the Keeper! I am the heart of the Camphor. It is I,  _the_ one and only spirit of this forest!”

Wind breezed through the branches, ruffling the yellowing leaves. The fairy deflated at the lack of recognition or positive reaction.

It _is_ to be expected of course; he's been napping for a fifty years, and the tiny man couldn't possibly know that. 

“But you can call me Chanyeol, I'm cool with that too.”

“Baekhyun.” The smaller male nodded, running a hand through his hair. Baekhyun felt the sweaty locks and groaned silently. He had been running (or walking; same difference) around all morning, up and down the hiking trail and for a moment he really wished he had picked up a more laid back activity than to go fairy hunting.

He could be eating some delicious food right now, soaking on some much needed sun or better yet, bathing in the soothing warm waters of his hotel’s widely advertised hot springs.

But no, fucking Byun Baekhyun had to pick up that stupid tourist guide pamphlet at the reception and had to read the stupid legend about magical wish-granting creatures.

 _Forest spirit hunting, seriously?_ People should be ashamed of actually proposing such stupid thing as a leisure activity. Because stupid tourists like Baekhyun could decide to try it out in hopes of finding something.

Sure enough, he found _something_ —he eyed the weird man warily—but not exactly what he had been looking for. Sighing, he realized he had no other option but to ask the weird man (fairyman?) if there were any other spirits lurking around the forest, and his huge eager eyes look expectant, waiting almost for him to talk, so he ventured to ask.

“Look, _Chanyeol_ , fairy man, I’m sorr-“

“Forest spirit.”

“Sure. Fairy, forest spirit, _werewolf_ , whatever you wanna call yourself, I don’t care. I was kinda promised a majestic spirit, not a tall male version of Tinker Bell-no offense.” Baekhyun waved his hand dismissively, pointedly ignoring the crestfallen expression that fell upon the taller’s face in favor of redirecting his attention to the map in his hands.

His slender finger traced a few pilot marked lines and he was grinning in triumph seconds later as he found what he was looking for pretty quick, tapping hurriedly at a passage in the glossy tourist guide while he angled it properly for the confused man to read.

“Look! It says here: _At the shade of the Camphor, where the susuwatari rest, when thy heart proves itself untarnished, the keeper of the forest shall be awakened and revealed_.”

Baekhyun waved the pamphlet around, wildly gesturing at a few marks circled over the northern part of the forest map and successfully making Chanyeol cross-eyed a few times as the latter tried to make out the chicken scrawl of words and symbols.

“I followed the soot looking things to this area (cheeky little things to be honest, got me working out my cardio for an hour, and I don’t do cardio after 9am) and then I had to double check and make sure that this was the biggest Camphor tree in this area as the legend says, because surprise! The entire forest is crowded with Camphor trees! But the old lady that lives at the outskirts of town pointed to this direction and also confirmed that a huge powerful cat-like spirit has lived here for a long, long time now and could grant wishes!”

“But _you!_ ” Baekhyun rolled his guide and pointed it accusingly to the speechless spirit, “You’re _not_ a cat, and you’re not _that_ huge, and you most certainly don’t _look_ like you can grant wishes.”

"I-I think you're confusing me with this other Japanese ca-"

"Don't you dare say I'm wrong, because I _know_ what I'm talking about! It's.all.here!" He slapped his palm over the pamphlet with every word. 

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose, scratching the side of his head as he looked down at the cute, yet highly aggressive man, trying to understand just how this angry little human had managed to awaken him up from his deep, magically induced slumber. 

“Well...for starters, that’s a _tourist_ guide you got there. Disney inspired and aimed for children between the ages of 6 to 12. It says so at the back.”

He held a finger up as Baekhyun tried to refute his accusations. “And, I _am_ a cat.”

His wrist flickered and his fingers snapped twice over his own face in a heartbeat. Baekhyun blinked twice and sure thing, Chanyeol was in the split of a second a very soft looking cat-man. On top of his pink pastel hair were a set of fuzzy white triangles that twitched with every sound, his almond shaped eyes looked impossibly brighter (maybe even bluer?), and there were three whiskers now marked on each side of his plump cheeks.

 _Oh wow_. Baekhyun gulped. Who knew forest spirits could be so incredibly hooo- _okay looking!_ He mentally chastised himself.

“I may not be able to grant wishes, but I can help you out if you want me to.” The mystical guy grinned, full set of pearly white teeth in plain view, and for a moment Baekhyun felt bewitched by the man's ethereal looks, but those innocent words soon sink in and his face contoured once again in unconcealed disappointment.

“You can’t grant wishes then? Not even tiny ones?”

Chanyeol’s huge grin faltered a bit, leaving him with a small, apologetic, and far less magical version of it as he slowly shook his head. For a second Baekhyun felt bad for treating the guy this rowdy, but he’s Byun Baekhyun, so the feeling lasted a whole second before it vanished.

“Oh well then, I guess my quest ends here. Nice meeting you fairy spirit. Have a good one.”

“Wait! You can’t go!” Chanyeol scrambled after the smaller one as he started walking away, “No one's ever managed to wake me up from my slumber, that must mean you’re special! I think...we should be friends!--”

"I think...we should not."

"--We can play around and eat raspberries! A-And maybe-"

Baekhyun snorted, rolling his eyes before he turned around sharply and jabbed a finger into the stuttering fairy’s chest. “Listen, magic boy, it was fun while it lasted-this whole spirit hunting deal-but I’m sweaty, and hungry and done with this silly little game, so I don’t know, do us both a favor and just go back to your slumber and forget I ever woke you up in the first place.”

Chanyeol's smile fell for the nth time and left enough space for a sad pout to settle.

"Okay..."

The way guilt crawled its ugly way under Baekhyun's skin at the sight of those adorable, fuzzy looking ears lowering dejectedly had Baekhyun growing exasperated. He doesn't do guilt, it doesn't suit him, but now it's _there_.

"...Can I still come and visit you sometime?"

A few seconds passed before the smaller one sighed, rubbing his temple. He just told this guy he wanted nothing to do with him and he just brushed him off and asked to visit him.

The pink haired fairy was again shuffling on his feet, worrying his bottom lip to a plump, cherry red mess. His baby blue eyes were literally dripping with anticipation and hope, and maybe it was the way his ears perked up to every sound or the way his faint whiskers wobbled when he scrunched his nose, but overall it was all too much, and Baekhyun...gives in.

"Fines...do whatever you want. I don't care." Baekhyun didn't pay too much attention to the way his words came out a bit breathless and not as gruffly as he had wanted initially. He was sure the other one could just sense how much he actually _doesn't really care_  ( _Lies~_ his guilty conscience sing-sang in that nasally way that sounded awfully like Jongdae. Ew _)_

And besides, it's not like the man was going to stay true to his words. Anyone in their right mind could tell when they were not wanted (and he _didn't_ want to befriend the weird cat guy, dammit!).

With that last confusing thought pushed out of the away, Baekhyun turned around, waving his hand back in a halfhearted farewell. "Goodbye fairy catman."

The latter remained quiet and didn’t even correct Baekhyun as he watched him walk away for the second time that day.

By the time Baekhyun found his way back to the hiking trail and out of the forest it was already late in the afternoon, with the temperature slowly dropping and the last few traces of the hot summer day vanished in the chilly air.

An entire day wasted in a headless pursuit. _Bloody brilliant_. 

Baekhyun ignored the soot spirits that fluttered around him as he dumped the useless tourist guide in the nearest dumpster.

 

\---

 

   
“I,” Baekhyun announced two days later. “am irritated.”

“I think,” Jongdae said, gesturing to the empty candy wrappers loitering the area around his mysterious buddy, “I got that.”

Baekhyun snarled and threw half of the remaining mochi candy in his fingers towards the unsuspecting short man, watching in satisfaction as his best friend ‘eeped’ and backed away.

His eyes darted back towards the hot springs ahead, watching the late afternoon sun setting at the horizon while casting shadows over the Japanese styled garden at the back of the luxurious Inn they were currently staying at.

“I have a stalker.” declared Baekhyun, an entire packet of green tea flavored mochi later. He whipped out his compact mirror, index finger tracing the corner of his mouth to clean the remaining traces of his ‘light’ afternoon snack.

Jongdae laughed as he watched the editor in chief of one of the most popular fashion magazines in Korea lathering some glossy pink lip balm over his slightly chapped lips while talking nonsense.

“You got some mochi on your Balenciaga scarf by the way.”

Baekhyun whipped around viciously to glare at the graphic designer who was now casually sitting at the edge of their private terrace, feet soaking in the warm water of the hot spring as he munched on some leftover sweet bean rice cake.

“You know, for someone so tiny, you can be quite insufferable.”

“I know. It’s a charm and a curse.” Jongdae’s lips curled in a cheeky grin, ignoring the way Baekhyun was narrowing his eyes dangerously in his direction as the glowering male delicately whipped the green stain off his black, wool scarf (from the new, limited winter collection of Balenciaga in collaboration with one of the best designers of Burberry. God dammit…)

“Lemme start again.” Baekhyun leaned forward, letting his arm rest on the low traditional tea table as he placed his chin on his upturned palm and crossed his legs under. “I have a stalker.”

“Okay?” Jongday lifted an eyebrow, eyes glancing sideways as he silently prompts the loony to continue.

“His name is Chanyeol. He’s like an ancient cat forest fairy or something, with pastel pink hair, ridiculously cute cat ears, and a mouth that runs a hundred miles per hour and never shuts _up_.” Baekhyun hissed and his eyes darkened as his beady eyes glared daggers at the thick foliage that served as a natural fence for the Inn’s garden. Jongdae could’ve sworn he saw some of the bushes at the back rustle, but it’s a bit dark now, so he ignored it as his best friend continued his monologue.

“I found him-or woke him? I don't know-two days ago before you checked in. I kinda blew him off when we first met, which made me feel bad-I know right? That shocked me too-so I told him it was cool if he wanted to come and visit, and now he can’t, or more like won’t, leave me alone and what’s the point of him sticking around if he can’t grant my wishes!? An-"

"What? Wait, rewind the crazy. Did you say wishes?"

Baekhyun frowned at the rude interruption, brushed his caramel bangs off his eyes and continued. "Yes Kim, _wishes_. And I already had them all planned out, you know? I was gonna wish for my thighs and my ass to stay as hot as they are now once I reach _that_ age, or some whimsical shit like fame or money, and maybe if I had enough free wishes to spare, I would’ve asked for Minseok to remain oblivious to how stupid, virgin and lame you really are so you guys can hook up already, but alas, none of that is gonna happen now, because fairy boy is just a cute dumb cat that can cast cool-never tell him I said that!-spells and nothing more!”

“O-kay?...Uh, and what do you plan to do about this stalker guy?”

Baekhyun moaned in frustration.

“I don’t know! He’s just so-so irritating and clumsy and argh!”

“Well, from what I managed to get out of your wild description of the dude, he seems pretty inoffensive to me. Do you really hate him that much?” Jongdae asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Yes, no, I don’t know! No, fine, not pure hatred but he just gets on my nerves when he trips over things that aren’t even there, or smiles when I tell him he’s a lost case, or when he chokes eating raspberries he picks out of the forest while he’s following me around!”

“Has he sent you love letters yet? Gifts? Body parts? He's your _stalker_ , right?”

“Yes! and NO! He’s done absolutely nothing but make googly eyes and follow me!”

“Would you feel better if he did?”

“YES! What kind of useless stalker is he anyway?!”

The early evening wind howled, making a shiver run up and down his back, raising goosebumps. Baekhyun grumbled and hugged the now clean scarf closer to his frame as he stared a little exasperated at the dumbfounded man gaping at him like a dying fish after their conversation drops to an awkward end.

Thankfully Jongdae snapped out of his spell pretty quickly, picking up one of the empty candy wrappers and sniffing it carefully, spiking Baekhyun's curiosity at his weird behavior.

“Uh, Dae? What are you doing?”

“Trying to see just what the hell was in these candies. Because you, Byun Baekhyun, have completely lost your pretty little mind.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Are these supposed to be like weed brownies, but with mochi?”

“I’m gonna punch you.”

“Great, maybe then I can punch you back and have your imaginary fairy boyfriend come save you.” Jongdae snorted, crumpling the wrapper before tossing it towards the trashcan at the corner of the terrace. Baekhyun puffed his cheeks, pouting as he decided to ignore the way the word _boyfriend_ made his ears feel alarmingly warm.

“You don’t believe me, do you.” It wasn't even a question.

“Of course not,” The designer rolled his eyes. “I think you’ve seen too many Ghibli movies and eaten way too many mochi candies in my two days absence.”

“You’re hopeless.” Baekhyun groaned, burying his face in his arms. “I’m never telling you anything, ever again.”

“I mean, I’m not saying I don’t believe you... _per se_ ,” The young man conceded, making the tiny editor shift his face a little to peek at him over his arm, suspicious of his sudden positive response. “I believe it could’ve happened. Like-in a dream sort of way. Oooh! I know! Like one of those vivid dreams!”

Baekhyun groaned again and disappeared in his arms, trying to drown the man’s stupid babbling.

“I used to have vivid dreams before. That shit is crazy! But, aren't those like triggered by stress? Are you stressed? Frustrated? Or..maybe you’ve been suppressing some type of unconscious, um, _sexual_ fantasy?” Jongdae strokes his chin, deep in thought. “I would’ve never pegged you to be into _that_ kind of stuff though.”

 _What!?_ Baekhyun squeaked, face burrowed in his arms now blazing red. _What stuff??_

“Rough sexual fantasies with magical entities aren't everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not judging, I mean, if your thing is getting flogged and whipped and having wild, kinky sex with hot, fairy cat men in a forest, it’s fine by me, I’m not one to discriminate people based on their sexual fantasies.” Jongdae nodded solemnly, hand over his heart. “You do you buddy, I’ll support you no matter what.”

“Kim Jongdae, I’m gonna end your ass!”

“Sure, love you too Baek. Even if you’re one little odd ball full of repressed sexual urges.” Jongdae grinned, foolishly ignoring the looming threat.

The designer turned around and stared in serene silence at their private share of the hot springs, basking in the warm fog rising from the streams as it softly licked his cheeks with moistness, completely missing the tiny male that lurched over the table to tackle them both across the floor.

Jongdae was soon wailing as his luscious black hair is pulled viciously, and between puppy bites and hair pulling, they rolled around the terrace only to scream as they flail for a second mid-air before diving into the lukewarm water.

 

 ---

 

“He’s here!” Baekhyun hissed under his breath, eyes roaming wildly around the forest as the group and their elderly private tour guide walk further into the touristic hiking trail of the National Park.

Whose idiotic idea was it anyways to fly the entire design and editorial department of _EXO Couture_  to the most secluded rural area of Korea to enjoy (or more like consumed by impending boredom) some well-paid, two-week vacation at a luxurious, Japanese styled, hot spring deluxe Inn?

 _Oh_ , he remembered.

_Wow, amazing idea Byun. Brilliant! Trendsetter!_

Ha ha. Never mind.  
  
That tall, gangly spirit had been following him around for almost a week now. Always showing up when no one else was around.

Which turned out to be quite the set back in Baekhyun's plan of demonstrating that he was indeed telling the truth and not just ' _Getting high on the hot spring fumes'_ like Jongdae had so eloquently declared on the third night of their vacation; to his dismay and the rest of his friends’ amusement.

And it didn’t help the fact that the sporadic visits were always at the most random times: while walking along the outside corridor on his way back to his shared room after a late night bath at the hot springs, sitting around in that secluded area of the garden that had the best phone reception to make a call to his assistant and have him book an appointment with a good therapist ('cause I’m fucking going out of my mind Lay! Come save me! _Yes_ , _write that down'_ ), or just whenever the stupid fairy deemed convenient to show up out of thin air, offering wild raspberries and dorky smiles.

Baekhyun was still very much traumatized from when the tall spirit had jumped unceremoniously into the outer bath one evening, deeming totally normal to engage in a conversation half naked and way too close for comfort.

_We’re friends now! Come here and give me a hug Baekhyunnie!_

Chanyeol had offered a friendly hug. Baekhyun had offered a wet slap.

Because he had been rendered speechless, and had been twitching in embarrassment, and he hadn’t been confortable _whatsoever_ with the latter’s absurd disregard of personal space; despite other parts perking up in interest and stating otherwise. (traitors!)

So here he was, against his will, being dragged into a boring hiking trip with the rest of his friends and work colleagues, feeling a pair of eyes at the back of his neck watching his every step.

From the corner of his eyes, Baekhyun could see a pair of fuzzy white ears peaking from behind a bush, big round eyes watching the group with poorly concealed curiosity, and perhaps, longing?

One of the fairy’s ears was suddenly twitching at the sound of Jongdae’s guffawing. Soon Chanyeol’s hand is scratching the soft fur and it takes everything in Baekhyun's power not to coo because that had to be the cutest thing he had ever seen (And that was saying a lot. He had a corgi back home).

And maybe, just maybe, Baekhyun wasn’t _that_ annoyed with the fact that a tall forest spirit had been stalking him nonstop for the past few days.

If he fancied a few honest thoughts, Chanyeol, despite his over the top gestures, too wide smiles and unrelenting curiosity, was quite pleasant to have around.

Just the other day, he had turned his big palm upwards and had tiny sparks crackling from his smooth skin like miniature Christmas fireworks before a small soot spirit sprang up, out of thin air, having it bump on his sharp, sculptured nose before blowing it towards Baekhyun’s face, chuckling as the smaller one laughed and blew it right back.

Baekhyun also remembered how the afternoon sun had caught the light baby blue of Chanyeol's gorgeous eyes and he had to take a moment to regain his breath because Chanyeol had looked every bit as the ethereal spirit he was. Not like that particular detail was of any importance anyways (cough).

...Okay, fine!

Chanyeol was _very_ pleasant to have around (and ridiculously pleasing to the eye, sweet Jesus! Those abs were a magical experience!).

In the end, he wasn’t feeling peeved by the latter’s presence, but more than offended that his supposed ‘friends’ still couldn’t care enough to look around and see that ridiculous mass of body sticking at odd angles behind those tiny Lavander shrubs.

For fuck’s sake! He was like ten meters away! Seriously, how come no one could see him!?

“He’s literally right _there_.” Baekhyun growled, hand flickering twice towards the tall giant whose eyes were still peaking out from top of the bushes, blinking innocently.

“Uh huh.” Kris answered, nodding along to whatever the paranoid male was saying, eyes trained on his boyfriend pressed closer to his side, making the stoic fashion critic crack a tiny smile as Joonmyun squeaked at the sight of a wild rat scurrying around.

“He keeps watching us! It’s really _creepy!_ ” Baekhyun’s voice raised at the end, snorting as the ‘hidden’ spirit visibly scrambled to hide better and make himself smaller despite the limited space of his hideout. “I’d throw a rock at him or something, but knowing my super manly strength, it could probably end up killing him-”

“Mmmhm.” Jongin nodded, attention focused on Kyungsoo as he helps his small boyfriend walk over a couple of unsteady looking rocks along the trail.

“-it’s like a sixth sense y'know? I can practically feel him watching me all the time. At dinner, in the outer springs, when we’re looking around souvenir shops around town-”

“Okay.” Jongdae conceded absentminded, watching starry-eyed as Minseok nodded at every word the elderly guide drawled out with a tired wheeze, finding the history of the Camphor Forest ridiculously fascinating.

“-everywhere I go, he’s there! Just the other day, I was walking around the garden, trying to get a decent signal to call my neighbor Luhan and have him pick up my order from Gucci that was supposed to arrive later that day-which mind you, it didn’t! Can you believe it!? Like I paid extra cash to have that shit on priority list!-and he just happened to be there the _whole_ time. Because it’s oh so normal to fall out of trees and into dirty ponds,” Baekhyun scoffed. “But then again, he’s not normal, he’s a tall fairy with a lack of good reflexes.”

“I see.” Sehun mumbled in reply, half his stoic face hidden behind his obnoxiously sophisticated camera as he took pictures of a fucking leaf.

Baekhyun ranted on and on, oblivious to the groups’ lack of concern, gesturing his points with elaborate hand gestures and facial expressions that only caught the attention of their tour guide, who kept babbling about the National Park’s water reserves despite being now partially terrified by the small man’s eccentric demeanor.

“God, I can even feel his gaze all over me. It’s like he…it’s like he wants to kiss me or something!”

“Maybe you should let him.” Tao, the only kind-hearted soul actually paying any attention to his ranting, casually suggested. _Wait, what!?_

“WHAT DID YOU _SAY!?_ ”

Everyone turned around and Baekhyun immediately shrunk back, ashamed of his sudden outburst.

“You’ve been ranting on and on about this guy for like an hour. Better yet, this entire week you’ve been talking more about this guy than you’ve ever talked about any other guy in your life,” Baekhyun gawked, feeling quite affronted and freaked out by the truth in the Chinese fashion journalist’s words, watching the blond smoothly whip out a pair of glossy Prada shades over his eyes, “Word of advice? Go for it. I say you ride that fairy dick and go to town.”

 _Forest spirit!_ A low, far-off voice corrected in a hushed whisper behind the bushes. The laughter that had followed Tao’s advice sharply fell into a deafening silence.

Baekhyun whipped around, feeling embarrassed and mortified all at once, already fed up with being the laughing stock of his social circle. Mustering the meanest glare he could come up with (which was quite the effort, he was absolutely adorable) Baekhyun stomped his hiking boot on the floor and angrily pointed his slim index finger down.

“Enough! You better get your scrawny forest spirit ass out _right_ now, or so help me Chanyeol, I’m gonna rip your cat ears off and have you eat them!”

Admonished, and slightly terrified at the prospect, the tall male could only whimper in defeat, and after a few seconds of no response Baekhyun was ready to march his 5’7 self to those shrubs and yank the ridiculous fairy out, but Chanyeol beat him to it, standing up slowly from his crouching position.

The sudden intake of breath and the gasps from behind were music to the editor’s ears, and a wide grin spread over his face as he watched the dejected young spirit making his way towards him, closing the distance.

A big pout was set on his plump lips, cat ears flattened over his skull and for a moment Baekhyun felt slightly bad that he had been so harsh to the guy.

Honestly, he really didn’t mind having the spirit lurking around and popping out at random times during the day. The attention wasn’t that bad, he could almost admit he looked forward to it, but he was starting to become quite irritated of being depicted as a horny man fantasizing on getting it on with imaginary fairy spirits.

Trying to appease the taller’s deflated posture, he grabbed his hand, much to the spirit’s delighted surprise.

Baekhyun looked up and offered a small grin, trying to ignore that way his heart skipped a few beats as the fairy’s calloused fingers entwined with his and squeezed his smaller hand softly.

He coughed after a long pause, willing his blush to back down before turning around towards his friends, face now concealing the previous tenderness as he marched back to the petrified group.

“Guys, this is my fairy stalker, Chanyeol.” He gestured casually. “Chanyeol, these are my idiotic friends and colleagues.”

“Hi!” Chanyeol grinned happily, all white teeth and cute dimples as he waved his free hand animatedly.

Joonmyun fainted in his boyfriend’s arms as Kris caught him at the last second, staring at the mismatched pair completely dumbfounded. Jongdae and Minseok could only gape, mouths opening and closing a few times as they tried to come up with some type of response or explanation to the impossible situation before them.

Tao whistled lowly ( _Nice, Byun!)_ with eyes appraising Baekhyun’s good taste behind his dark sunglasses, and Sehun took pictures with his stupid camera.

No one paid attention to the fact that their tour guide had been long gone, running down the trail and quitting his job the next day.

 

\---

 

  
“So,” Jongdae prodded, mouth curled in that annoying cheeky way Baekhyun utterly despised, “How did your date go with your fairytale boyfriend?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, flopping down on the bed of their shared room as he started toeing his hiking boots off. With remorse, he noticed a few scratches on the velvety smooth side of the sole. They had been on sale, but they were designer nevertheless…

“Chanyeol is not my _boyfriend_.” He ignored the way the designer snorted, “And for your information, it wasn’t a date, he just wanted to show me something.”

He shrugged one shoulder offhanded, wiggling his socked toes before standing up and making his way towards his suitcase.

“What did he want to show you? His magic _wand_?” Offended, Baekhyun looked back and could only take so much of Jongdae’s bushy wiggling eyebrows in a day. He was doing that horrible lewd _thing_ with his hand and before he knew it, he had pulled his dirty socks off and thrown them across the room, watching in satisfaction the way the smelly projectiles landed on their target.

Jongdae yelped and fell off the bed. “Hey! Don’t take your frustrations out on me! It’s not my fault Chanyeol hasn’t shown you his magic tricks yet, or blown his fairy dust all over you.”

“You’re disgusting. Seriously, what does Minseok even sees in you.”

“Nothing, he sees absolutely _nothing_. Which is the current dilemma of my nonexistent love life!” The designer wailed, rolling on the floor. He stopped his whining after a few seconds, sitting up and placing his chin on the bedding.

He stared silently as Baekhyun prepared his toiletries, mind set on taking a much needed bath on the outer springs.

“We only have two more days here.”

Baekhyun halted his movements, eyes trained on the floor as his hands stay poised over his suitcase. He took a long breath before he closes the upper lid and zips it.

“I know Dae.”

“Do you like him?” The question lingered in the air for a while, and Jongdae was sure Baekhyun was going to ignore it, but just as he was about to walk out of the terrace he took a step forward but stopped dry and turned his head sideways to stare at the black haired male on the floor.

“I... think I do.” Baekhyun admitted at last, biting his lower lip. “Or at least I’m getting there I think. And-I, I’m not sure if I want to.”

 

\---

  

“Chanyeol, wait!”

Baekhyun cursed under his breath, tripping a few times as he stepped out of the trail and into the secluded part of the forest. The full moon aided his vision, but his legs felt overused and painfully inadequate for this type of strenuous exercise.

Why did he even think he could catch the man? Chanyeol was the freaking _forest_ spirit! All he needed to do was blink his stupid gorgeous eyes and he would be on the other side of the freaking forest.

The thought pulled Baekhyun back and made him stop, leaning forward as his hands rested on his knees, taking big gulps of air to steady his heart pounding in his chest. His fingers gripped the fabric of his jeans tightly, and once he straightened up he was back on the run.

There had been signs, and he wasn’t stupid to not notice the warning bells, but he did just that, pretend not to notice, and now everything was fucked. How could things have gone so atrociously _wrong_?

There had been something about the way Chanyeol had been smiling earlier that day when he had agreed to go with him for a hike that had made Baekhyun suspicious: the shuffling of his feet, the nervous, uncoordinated body movements (more than normal).

But regardless, Baekhyun had given in despite the chaotic disorder, that now was just a poor semblance of what his suitcase had once been, waiting for him back at the Inn.

Even if he had refused, Jongdae had forcibly locked him out of their room, telling him to enjoy his last little escapade with the mystical man of his dreams before they had to catch their train first thing in the morning, and it was only after he had promised death in the form of pillow smothering the latter in his sleep, he turned away and marched out of the garden and into Chanyeol’s excited hand pulling him into the forest.

But the 'magical escapade' had been more like him following a giant sized child running around a big clearing full of blooming flowers and chasing away fireflies.

“Doesn’t that get boring after a while?” Baekhyun had asked when the taller came jogging back, panting and laughing. Chanyeol took a few breathes in before he booped Baekhyun's nose, much to the smaller male’s distaste.

“I suppose it does, but I guess ‘a while’ hasn’t passed yet.”

“Clearly.” Baekhyun frowned, watching Chanyeol eye a cluster of fireflies not too far away.

The spirit looked back at him. “You should try it,” Chanyeol offered, trapping Baekhyun's thin wrist within his big hand. “I doubt you’re having fun watching me.”

“Watching you is _just_ as great,” Baekhyun batted his eyelashes. “I’m having the _time_ of my li-“

He was cut off as Chanyeol started running again, this time dragging the startled man along, ignoring the way Baekhyun shouted and screamed obscene phrases that soon turned into peals of laughter as the fireflies dispersed while spiraling high into the night like tiny stars exploding into miniature galaxies.

“You-” Baekhyun panted moments later, slightly winded. “-are the weirdest guy I’ve ever met.” Chanyeol just laughed at him, hand reaching over to brush a piece of leaf out of his hair as they stayed under an old Camphor tree, away from the clearing.

“Come,” Chanyeol grinned, ignoring his comment. He grabbed his wrist again. “I want to show you something.”

Baekhyun pouted but agreed, silently trailing behind the tall pink-haired man as his hand is gently squeezed now and then in the comforting silence that had fallen between them.

“Last time you said you wanted to show me something I ended up with dirt on my Valentino sandals. I’m not sure I can trust you anymore.”

But the man only wheezed in laughter, and dragged him further into the forest. It took a few moments to realize that they were back under the enormous Camphor tree in which they had met two weeks ago.

It looked exactly the same as Baekhyun remembered, tall and imposing, but something about the way the moonlight filtered its way through the branches and casted milky white splotches over the spirit’s fair complexion made it feel like they were somewhere else.

Somewhere far away where magic was alive, and goodbyes were nonexistent.

Movement at the corner of his eyes caught his attention and a multitude of soot spirits were instantly floating around the tree, almost as if dancing over their heads as they circled around the massive tree trunk. Baekhyun reached up and managed to touch a small spirit guide with the tip of his fingers. It felt strangely soft and velvety, and he giggled as it rolled up his palm and away.

Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol’s eyes on him and he looked sideways only to be completely enraptured by the way Chanyeol's blue eyes glowed like fireflies as the moonlight caught the aquamarine hues of his irises.

“Baek,” Chanyeol took a step closer, taking both of his small hands in his own, hugging them to his chest. “I like you.”

A lump formed in the back of Baekhyun's throat. He stared wide eyed, lost of words for the first time in his life, but Chanyeol ignored the tension in the smaller one’s bones and continued. “I know you don’t like me. Not yet, but I want you to. I really, really want you to like me too.”

“Chanye-“

“-which is why I want to show you this,” He let go of one of his hands to turn his bare palm upwards. A soft orange orb of light emanated from his skin, warm and bright. It flickered, like flames, but it stayed floating in the air, never straying too far. “This is the _real_ spirit of the forest.”

“I’m just its keeper,” Chanyeol moved his fingers, making the orb dance around wildly before setting back to its original position, “A vessel. The spirit created me, like many others before me, and as much as I’m part of it, the spirit doesn’t define the entirety of my existence. If I were to give the spirit back to the forest, another keeper would be created, and so on.”

“But...that means you would die...” Baekhyun choked.

Chanyeol smiled, pressing both of his small hands still cradled over his chest harder, over his heart and secured within the warmness of his own hand. “No. I would have no other choice but to become human.”

Realization dawned on Baekhyun, making him gasp as he finally understood what the tall spirit was casually implying.

“I think it wasn’t a mistake that you woke me up that day. No matter how loud and _rude_ you were, that just doesn’t happen very often.” Chanyeol chuckled, making Baekhyun lightly hit his chest despite the intensity of his sudden declaration.

“I-I really want to be with you. And if you want me too, then, we can try and want this together.” He tilted his head sideways, smiling as Baekhyun gulped and flickered his eyes between the dancing orb in Chanyeol's palm and the dancing lights behind his sparkling eyes.

Oh how wonderful it would’ve been if Baekhyun had said _yes_.

He had wanted to say yes, so bad, but he knew that despite how much he really wanted to take Chanyeol with him and keep him to himself, he was made by the forest, _for_ the forest, and he couldn’t possibly take that away from it.

So his heart had said yes but his mouth had blurted a _no_ , and before he could explain himself further the soot spirits, the dancing lights and Chanyeol’s glowing eyes were gone in the span of a bated breath, and Baekhyun was left running and chasing after the latter’s pastel locks vanishing like thin air into the night.

Which brought him back to the current turning point.

The easiest, most logical option would be turning around, bring his ass back to the Inn, pack his suitcase and get a good night sleep after making his promise real of smothering Jongdae with a pillow. And he would march his way back to Seoul first thing in the morning with what little dignity he had left and he would forget all about stupid summer flings and magical, heart-playing jerks.

But Byun Baekhyun lived for challenges, and if he turned his back on probably one of the most extraordinary things that’s ever happened to him (and probably ever will, he admits his life is was not  _that_ thrilling) he was pretty certain he would regret it for the rest of his life.

And of course, Jongdae would never let him live it down. That bastard.

So despite his muscles screaming in exhaustion, his legs just about to give up, and his white Miu Miu sneakers now a muddy monstrosity, he pushed himself forward and further into the forest.

Or at least that was the initial thought.

Half an hour later found him groaning and catching himself bent over halfway over a rotten trunk of a tree. He was tired, dirty and angry; the worst combination of emotions so far.

“Oh fine! Be that way!” He shouted into the night, letting his back slide down against the cold dead trunk. He could feel the rotten bark peeling off and sticking to his cotton shirt, but he was too fed up to care.

“Just so you know, you’re a huge coward!” He yelled again, answered by silence. Somehow, deep down he knew Chanyeol was listening, most likely hidden on top of some Camphor tree no too far away, so he continued with his accusations.

“The moment you heard _no_ you just scurried off, and you didn’t even had the common courtesy to hear me out. I didn’t say no to your feelings, I wasn’t rejecting you, you big stupid doofus!” He swallowed thickly.

“I…really like you too. Or at least I think I might be getting there, and I want you. I want you now, and the idea of you wanting to be with me scared me a little because I didn’t come here to find something more than a good rest and some amazingly good traditional Japanese candies and yet, I found you and your stupid lurker ways and, and-these past few days have been the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

Baekhyun felt the lump back in his throat, but this time he didn’t try to fight it. Instead, he sniffled and rubbed his sleeve over his wet eyes. “So yeah, I didn’t say no to you, I said no to the idea of you having to sacrifice yourself to follow me, when I’m no worth it.”

He sniffed again, and tilted his head back, waiting and hoping for the tall fairy to appear, but he knew the latter wouldn’t, and maybe it was for the best.

The air felt considerably chilly as he walked back and down the hiking trail an hour later.

His hot tears slid down his cheeks and as he bit his lip to quiet the sobs raking his body, he could have sworn the gentle breeze that whipped around gently and ruffled the fallen leaves felt almost like fingers brushing away his tears.

 

\---

  

  
“What in the living hell…”

Plants. Everywhere.

Baekhyun's delicate, perfectly manicured hand (and the one that was currently not clutching the to-go coffee cup for dear life) slowly slid the sophisticated sunglasses down his button nose, hoping maybe that it was just the light catching on his dark shades at a bad angle.

But no, it was not a light trick. They were  _there_.

Baekhyun gawked, half in horror and half in unconcealed revulsion, as he took more in his surroundings.

As of now, the prestigious editorial department of EXO was one enormous green canopy; floor to ceiling. Every little nook and corner of the spacious area was currently cluttered with flowers and roses, cute banners with tiny smiling planets holding hands, and potted trees, and- _fuck, was that a miniature sequoia in his office?_

He swallowed a shriek, clutching his coffee cup tighter. Was he dreaming? He was dreaming. This had to be a product of his hangover, and the headache softly pounding its way to his temple painfully agrees so.

He shouldn’t have had that last tequila shot; two shots is usually were Baekhyun draws the line on a weeknight. But of course, fucking Kris Wu had taunted him to drink more and it had been a formal, business related dinner with a bunch of foreign old farts from the international executive board, so he couldn’t look like a wuss in front of the crowd.

And now, the consequences were right before him, taunting his sanity in the form of Dragon Claws and Rosebuds and a bunch of posters that had tacky recycling slogans adhered to them.

The closest one advised Baekhyun to:  _Keep the Earth clean! It isn’t Uranus! (no offence to Uranus *wink* *wink*)_.

The editor in chief physically shivered.

Regardless of his inner turmoil, everyone around him busied about, minding their own business and paying no mind to the fact that their magazine's headquarters looked less like the multimillion fashion franchise that it was and more like a cheap version of Bukhansan's Natural Park.

A body pressed to his side minutes later, and Baekhyun had to take just one whiff of that Tom Ford’s _Tobacco Oud_ cologne to know who was the creature brave enough to invade his personal space before 10 am on a rushy Monday.

"You like it?" Jongdae the fool grinned, taking the coffee off his paralyzed hand to take a sip of his once piping hot (now just weird, disgusting, lukewarm and watered down) Chai Tea Latte.

"I loath it." Baekhyun seethed.

"Perfect." The designer nodded gleefully.

The elevator dinged and Jongin and Sehun both stepped out, each balancing a precariously looking stack of the magazine’s last year issues with their corresponding layouts and final budgets for the upcoming meeting.

Jongin stopped and took a moment to stare around before asking. “What’s with the jungle theme?”

“Apparently it’s all in allusion to some environmental affair.” Tao replied offhanded as he breezily waltzed down the hallway with a couple of new interns following his steps like lost puppies.

Baekhyun snorted. “Pfft! What? That’s got to be the most idio-“

“Happy Earth Day guys!” Minseok popped out from a cubicle and joined the conversation, eyes glimmering and smile looking positively radiant, and Baekhyun just knew in that moment the identity of the mastermind behind the new greenery inspired décor of his department.

The revelation had the hangover editor in chief groaning in exasperation. If it had been anyone else they would have been hanging butt naked from the reception’s chandelier at this very moment, but it was Kim Minseok-cute as a button, vegetarian, pet activist and earth lover Kim Minseok-so of course, the ominous idea was out the window in a second.

Why did Baekhyun have to like that cute, little fashion stylist so much...why couldn’t it have been Kris, or Jongdae dammit!

And his cheeky best friend sensed his resignation, biting his stupid lower lip to try and hide the snorts of laughter bursting from his stupid mouth.

He looked stupid, and his ugly nostrils flared up with each effort of keeping his chortling low.

The editor knew he had been defeated, and by no other than Kim Jong _fucking_ dae.

“Don’t you have a meeting to prepare for?” Baekhyun barked, snatching his watery Latte back and pushing his shades up over his icy glare, marching down the hallway as he bossed the startled workers around and promptly screeched at Lee Jinki, from the accounting department, to mind his _goddamn business_ when he pointed innocently at a coffee stain on his once impeccable Giorgio Armani crispy white button up.

He was surely going to have his fair share of pissed Kim Kibum later that afternoon for having yelled at his husband, but he pushed the thought of the feisty fashion designer and his overbearing protectiveness towards his dumb husband aside. He would have to deal with that shit later.

Baekhyun had been awaken for less than three hours and he was already hundred percent convinced this was going to be the worst day of his life.

With his mood completely ruined at the thought, he turned around and threw one last withering look at a smug looking black haired designer still fighting his chortling before he flickered his attention sideways and narrowed his eyes at one of the innocent new journalists from the department.

He practically growled at the flailing boy to fetch him a new cup of coffee (' _and stop watering that stupid cactus Mark!'_ ) before he stomped into his office and slammed the door behind him with one well-placed kick.

 

\---

   

The meeting started an hour later, and despite his murderous aura, and inhuman migraine, Baekhyun pulled off a somewhat decent, professional version of himself, impressing his friends and a few of his colleagues that had witnessed his little ourtburst earlier.

They had all been absolutely positive the editor was going beg to reschedule.

 _Ha! As if!_ He would never give those snakes the satisfaction of watching the great Byun Baekhyun bend to their evil ways!

Still, his foul mood refused to relent, and even as the meeting came to break in favor of getting some lunch and the only ones remaining in the conference room were Tao, Jongdae, Jongin (which kind of didn’t count since he was leaning against his small boyfriend and answering some emails, oblivious to their conversation) and Kyungsoo, Baekhyun couldn’t bring himself to cheer up.

Not only was he feeling like biting everyone’s head off, but he was now so awfully on edge and his headache was having a fucking techno party, full-on grinding and tap dancing all over his temple, which he was pretty sure it was now reduced to a lumpy soup of fresh brain tissue.

“Okay,” Jongdae talked around a mouthful of lasagna, ignoring the way Tao grimaced over his low carb-high protein chicken wrap at the sight of his tomato sauced cheeks. “I know the whole Earth Day themed decorations are not the most chic or _avant-garde_ , but they’re not _that_ preposterous.”

“Of course you would think that. Minseok could hang a chunk of week-old road kill and you’d still think it was not _that_ bad.” Baekhyun scoffed, picking on his Fettuccini Alfredo, appetite almost gone.

“First of all, wow, fuck you.” Jongdae said, smiling mockingly, but there was enough easy camaraderie in his half-hearted insult that the bite didn’t even scratch his skin. “And second, he’s vegetarian, idiot. He wouldn’t even think of going near a piece of road kill.”

“Also, I believe last year’s Easter decorations were far worse than this.” Everyone nodded at Tao’s intervention, even Baekhyun, in unanimous agreement. “So, penny for your thoughts Byun? Why are you being bitchier than usual today?”

Baekhyun considered his options, nibbling on his lip as he weighted the pros and cons of actually confessing the root of his current dismay. Sooner or later though, he was bound to tell them.

They _were_  his friends, regardless of how obnoxious they could be, so he poked around his food before he sighed in defeat, letting go of his fork.

“Today marks exactly a month since our... vacation. When I woke up, I thought I would be able to not think too much about it, but then everything’s full of flowers and trees and it reminded me of the forest, and his pink hair and his eyes…”

A collective _ah_ reached his ears, making the small editor pout and push his plate away in order to bury his face in his arms. “It was all too much. It kinda hit me hard the fact that I really, really miss his stupid face.”

“I’m sorry Baek… it’s been a tough month, huh?” Kyungsoo smiled in empathy as he watched the man lift his face up a few minutes later, droopy eyes looking suspiciously red-rimmed.

“I just thought it would get better with time. But it’s just a nightmare Soo. I feel like going crazy.”

“Well, there’s nothing you can do about it now, right? I mean, you pretty much rejected the poor dude.” Jongin reflected after a while.

Baekhyun flinched and recoiled a little, the words striking up shame and remorse that he thought were long dormant.

“Um,” he started quietly, but Kyungsoo noticed his discomfort and cuffed his boyfriend on the head.

“Yah!” He scolded. “What are you bothering Baekhyun for? Can't you see he's going through a heartbreak!? Eat your lunch.” Kyungsoo turned back and smiled at the editor apologetically.

Baekhyun somehow felt a little strange (and a tad creeped out) being on the receiving end of Kyungsoo’s rare sympathy spells.

Did he look _that_ pathetic to evoke such arrant emotions from such a foreboding creature as Do Kyungsoo?

“It’s true though.” The chastised accountant mumbled reproachfully around a mouthful of rice.

As Kyungsoo and Jongin got involved in a heated mock-argument about courtesy and _keeping your pretty mouth shut if you wanna get laid tonight_ , Tao turned to Baekhyun, who was watching bemusedly; moment of remorse and shame over.

“As much as I hate agreeing with Nini there,” He jabbed his thumb towards the male getting an earful from his glowering boyfriend, “You did reject that poor man. It was your decision Baek.”

“I know!” Baekhyun sobbed tearless, rubbing the heel of his palms hard over his eyes to scrub the prickling sensation off. “I fucking now Tao, believe me I’m reminded of that every single day, and the fact that I can’t take it back and selfishly ask Chanyeol to become human and live with me forever is enough to drive crazy.”

“You could always just go back?” Jongdae offered, shoving another mouthful of pasta. “What’s there to loose? Worst case scenario, you find your fairy man sucking face with some smoking hot nymph, but at least you won’t be pinning over him anymore.”

Baekhyun whipped his head to his right, glaring at Jongdae beadily. “I really, really wanna gut you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not the one that rejected a good magical dicking and is now regretting his life choices.”

“That’s it. Square up _bitch_! You’re dead meat!” Baekhyun snarled, grabbing Jongdae’s sleeve and pulling him closer as the latter screamed, and before he taught his childhood best friend how well he remembered his early Hapkido training, there was a soft rapping on the door before a head pops inside the conference room.

“Mr. Byun,” Yixing nibbled on his lip, a nervous habit he picked up whenever he has to break some unwelcomed news to his short-tempered boss. “Um, I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch break. But some trees are starting to wither from the heat and-“

“Then call someone and have it fixed!” Baekhyun growled in his direction, a handful of Jongdae’s shirt still in his fists. “Do I _look_ like a gardener to you Lay?!”

“Yes.” mumbled Jongdae, shouting and gurgling for mercy as Baekhyun started to shake him violently.

Tao noticed the flustered assistant staring hopelessly at the one-sided fight and merely rolled his eyes at the bickering pair beside him, standing up to favor the still distressed chinese male that didn’t know if he should just scurry off and do what he was ordered to or help the chief designer now being kicked viciously on the shin by his Hapkido master of a boss.

“Did you call a gardener already?”

The Chinese assistant blinked and then a succession of fast nods and shakes followed before he stopped to puff his cheeks.

“...yes and no Mr. Huang." Yixing sighed in defeat, hugging his thick weekly planner closer to his chest. "I _did_ call for a gardener, but the agency said it would take a while to get someone here fast, and then there was this man at the reception that said he was good with plants and could offer his help."

"I don't see what the problem is then, Lay." Tao questioned. "Did the guy end up butchering Minseok's jungle or something?"

But the assistant shook his head and went back to his nervous lip biting. "He's doing a really good job at the moment. He was going to be compensated for his skilled services as well, and  _that’s_  where the problem arises. When he asked him to state the price of his services, he refused to be paid and only demands to talk to Mr. Byun as payment.”

Considerably interested by the stranger's request, Tao turned around and silently questioned Kyungsoo with an arched eyebrow.

The latter shrugged, feeding a spoonful of his coconut soup to his now meek boyfriend as he watched the tall fashion journalist follow the assistant out.

After almost an eternity later, a beaming Tao bounced into the room. There was a scary gleamer in his eyes as he sat down in a flourish beside a now tired looking Baekhyun.

Jongdae was now pouting as he finished his lunch, quietly nursing his bruising arm with Kyungsoo silently carding his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair, now snoozing off on his shoulder.

“Lay was not lying. The trees are really, really withering.” Tao commented casually, leaning on the table to cradle his cheeks in his palms.

“So?” The editor in chief snorted, rolling his droopy eyes as he typed furiously on his phone, answering an important work related email. “He’s efficient enough to know I shouldn’t be bothered with insignificant problems. Get a gardener to come and fix it. Period.”

“Oh, but there’s a gardener already here. And he’s doing a marvelous job as we speak.” Tao's smile lost its innocence as it stretched eerily across his face, “But you’re the head of the department. I think that you should be supervising his work.”

Baekhyun made a strangled noise from the back of his throat that sounded awfully like a grunt but kept typing on his phone.

The door opened once again, and a very nervous, almost at the edge of a breakdown looking Yixing stepped into the room. “I’m terribly sorry Mr. Byun! But I think you need to com-“

“Oh, for fuck’s _sake!_ ” He threw his hands in the air, standing up furiously as his upper lip curled in a snarl. “Can this day just end already!”

Pocketing his phone, Baekhyun made his way around the oval table and out the room, ignoring Tao’s snickering.

People stepped out of his way as the furious editor thundered down the hallway, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wrath.

Tugging at his tie to loosen the knot in frustration, Baekhyun noticed a small crowd circling around a crouching figure at the entrance of the editorial department.

He made it closer to the circle and he was about to demand someone to tell him what was so.incredibly.amusing that got everyone hovering around a man nursing a stupid miniature rose shrub and _not doing the fucking job you’re being paid to do!_ When he looked down and into a familiar figure, and he was suddenly short on air and words.

Chanyeol looked at him with his awkward, boyish, _beautiful_ smile tugging at the sides of his lips. He stood up, brushed off his soiled hands on his pants and walked a few steps to stand before him.

"Hi." Chanyeol offered with a set of dimples and the hint of a smile ghosting over his eyes.

“W-What are you doing here?” Baekhyun whispered. Hurt flashed fast over the other’s handsome face and it took him a moment to understand how rude his words came out.

Baekhyun blushed, embarrassed, and rephrased. “I mean, not that I don’t want to see you! I-I wanted to see you! I just wasn’t expecting to actually see you now.”

Chanyeol shared a bigger smile that still didn't reach his eyes fully, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. “Yeah, I wasn’t planning on coming here to be honest.”

“Oh,” was Baekhyun’s meager response, because really, what was he supposed to say to that?

“But the susuwataris reminded me today that it’s been a month since I last saw you and it suddenly hit me just how much I really, really miss you. They offered to track you down and after finishing some, um, _pending_ business, I traveled here, and I was just asking the receptionist if I could talk to you when some guy named Mark came down almost crying about his cactus dying from too much watering, and some other guy was sobbing over some trees dying in the editorial department and how they needed a gardener or Mr. Byun would be mowing their asses, so I offered my help, and yeah,”

His cute rambling stopped and a blush dusted over his cheeks as he played with the hem of his plain shirt nervously, baby blue eyes big and yearning. “Here I am.”

Baekhyun stared, for the second time in his life, completely floored and lost for words.

“I missed you.” Chanyeol said once more after a few breaths, quiet and helpless, and oh so human.

He searched Baekhyun’s face for some semblance of anything: hope, disappointment, rejection, anything but the plain blankness in the smaller’s face.

A cough that sure belonged to Kim Joonmyun finally broke the silence and sliced the smaller one's stupor into pieces. Baekhyun gulped, feeling bashful and embarrassed all at once in front of the small crowd of office workers.

“I-...I missed you too.” Baekhyun confessed a heartbeat later.

His eyelashes brushed over his cheeks as he lowered his eyes for a fragile moment of uncertainty before his head tilted back up in the direction of Chanyeol’s soft laugh, like a sunflower turning to the sun.

Nothing has changed. There was that same too-wide, too-childish smile that Chanyeol graced Baekhyun with the first time they met. At the memory of that faithful encounter, something warm and peaceful settled in Baekhyun's chest and he could only share a smile of his own back as the taller man steps closer and grabs both of his quivering hands, cradling them ever so gently over his chest.

“Just so you know, I still can’t grant wishes.” Chanyeol leaned over conspiratorially, “But we can try again. Who knows, maybe this time I can work something out.”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh at this as Chanyeol continued to smile at him.

"Good thing I already have my wish thought out." The brunet steps up on his toes and leans sideways to whisper in Chanyeol's expectant ear. “Oh _handsome_  magical wish-granting creature: I wish for a certain fairy that goes by the name of Chanyeol to turn human and accept to date my boring ass human self for a very long forever.”

"Forest spirit." Chanyeol corrected almost immediately for the last time before leaning back.

The pink haired male looked pensive before Baekhyun, almost lost in thought with his lips set in a soft purse before his mouth broke in a dimpled curve, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight, and Baekhyun’s smile wavered a little at the sight, suddenly becoming infatuated by the male’s impossible face.

“Cool.” The word was mixed in with a grin, and a hand is suddenly sliding up and palming Baekhyun's cheek softly. “Consider it done.”

“You’re staying with me then? Forever?” Baekhyun looked up, smiling surreptitiously at the now human man in front of him.

"Forever." Chanyeol leaned in to kiss him on the lips and Baekhyun had his answer stamped across his lips as he caught the adoration gleaming in those baby blue orbs.

“By the way, I know I said I liked you back then...but I can’t lie and say I _still_  do.” The taller confessed an inch away from their second. Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling his looming body closer. “I’m positively sure I'm in love with you.”

“I’ve been in love with you for quite a while now, you idiot.” Baekhyun whispered in Chanyeol’s mouth, ignoring the loud cheers that erupted in the room (because _finally_ , praise the Lord, their feisty boss was going to get laid and that should keep him off their backs...hopefully) in favor of finally kissing him and chasing their happily ever after.

 

 

 

 

 

  

  
“Stop, stop, _stop_!”

“What.” Baekhyun frowned, staring down at his boyfriend currently resting his giant head on his lap.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how the Totoro story goes.” Chanyeol scrunched his nose and threw a frown of his own back, only to squeak as the phone lightly bumped his forehead.

“Well, this is _my_ Totoro version, not yours. Suck it up.”

“But, you just made yourself look cool!” He groaned pitifully. “And you made me look like a weirdo…and a fucking _fairy_ stalker!”

“Hmm.” Baekhyun hummed, running his fingers through his boyfriend’s baby blue hair. “Well, if it makes you feel better, you would make one fine looking, hot fairy.”

“…like Lord of the Ring’s Legolas type of hot?” Chanyeol muttered, pouting a little.

“Sure, babe. Although he’s an elf, not a fairy.” Baekhyun chuckles, leaning down to kiss the pout off his lips. “I like you just as you are anyways. My very own Tinkerman.”

“Unbelievable!” The tall rapper roared, pushing himself up as he tried hard to look pissed as his boyfriend laughed loudly. “I’m dying my hair back to brown first thing in the morning! I’m done with the fairy jokes!”

"I don't think your cute, tiny bald spot agrees, Yeol."

He huffed and stood up just as Jongdae and Kyungsoo made their way into the living room, watching the way Baekhyun was cackling like a madman on the couch and his 6’1 boyfriend was pretty much on the verge of throwing a tantrum.

“What happened?” Kyungsoo questioned, raising an eyebrow as Baekhyun pulled himself off the couch and sauntered towards his pouting boyfriend, hugging his torso despite the latter’s failed attempts to brush him off.

Chanyeol puffed his cheeks. “Baekhyun called me Tinkerman.”

They both gasped. Baekhyun rolled his eyes at their mockery towards his baby giant.

“Terrible.” Kyungsoo drawled.

“That shameless harpy!” Jongdae cried in mock outrage.

“I know right!? Honestly! Can I not get through the day without someone comparing me to a fucking Snow filter?”

“Oh, cruel world,” Kyungsoo shook his head while Jongdae giggled.

Chanyeol looked outraged by their lack of sympathy, but the sentiment is quickly forgotten once the lock clicks and five boys shuffled their way inside the dorm. Jongin was the first to greet them, and as his eyes took in on the rapper’s new hairstyle, there was a sudden spark lighting his permanently hooded gaze, despite his boyfriend’s murderous glares from across the room.

“Yeol! Dude! Your hair!” Four sets of eyes turned around and stared at the gangly male, now blue haired with a handful of Baekhyun clinging to his side like a baby koala. Jongdae and Kyungsoo were behind the cuddling pair and wildly gesturing to- _What? Back the fuck off?_

“What about it.” Chanyeol mumbled, already tense and ready for their critics.

“You look...” Sehun squinted, stroking his chin.

“Handsome?” Yixing offered. The other four members all nodded in agreement.

Chanyeol finally relaxed, smiling and thanking them for the compliment. Baekhyun chuckled and stood on his toes, placing a tiny kiss on his boyfriend’s neck as a peace offering. The taller male wrapped his long arms around his lithe frame in acceptance.

“Sadness!” Sehun grinned, fist smacking his palm after a few minutes of silent brooding. “From that Pixar movie, Inside Out! Chanyeol looks like that Sadness character.”

“Nah, Yeol’s too hyper to be like Sadness.” Jongin retorted, grinning. “He looks more like Joy.”

“Oh, the one that looks like Tinker Bell?”

“Yeah”

Sehun suddenly jumped, his lips stretched in a huge grin. “He’s like the love child of Joy and Tinker Bell.”

“Park Tinkeryeol.”

Chanyeol moaned in frustration and all hell broke loose.

Despite the obvious height difference, Kyungsoo hauled both Sehun and Jongin out of the living room and into the kitchen, promptly giving both buffoons an earful about sparing the giant’s feelings (' _and read the fucking signs! Seriously? What do you think we were doing with Jongdae!? Playing charades?'_ ).

Jongdae took Minseok’s hand and quietly dragged the confused boy into their shared room.

Baekhyun tried to convince Chanyeol that, even though it was virtually impossible at this point to dye his hair back to a darker hue, he looked really manly and handsome and Tinker Bell would be fucking proud to call him her son.

Which left two people out of the chaos, one being a very confused looking Yixing that just waddled his way out and to the couch. He turned on the TV, choking as a Peter Pan marathon popped up on the first channel, with the current bane of their existence sparkling fairy dust all over the dazzled eternal boys in all of its HD glory, and the remote control was suddenly acting up and not working as he pressed all buttons in distress.

Joonmyun sighed, rubbing his temple as he took a seat on the couch beside the flustered Chinese member, closing his eyes and tuning out the noise.

“Yixing change that shit already!”

“I’m trying!”

“Ask Chanyeol. Maybe he can whip his fairy wand out and cast a spell or something to get the TV fixed.”

"Are you talking about my dick!?"

"Uh, no? But wow, that's quite vain of you Yeol. To think your junk is  _that_ magical."

"Kim Jongin!"

"Baekhyun's probably the only one that would agree to that though.. when he's getting Chanyeol's pixie dust blown all over his face."

"Oh, is that why his face is always looking all dewy and sparkly in the mornings?"

“Oh.fucking. _Sehun!_ ”

Joonmyun briefly considered making a call to his boyfriend currently enjoying his drama free weekend, holed up in his room playing Overwatch all the way in Canada, but later decided to spare Kris the headache.

"Joonmyun! Make _him_ apologize!" Six voices shouted at him, fingers pointed at different members, before they broke back into their petty arguments.

 _Bloody hell_ , the leader frowned. Where the hell was Tinker Bell when you needed her to grant some wishes, honestly. Such a fraud. 

" _KIM JOONMYUN_!"

 


End file.
